USDA Funding Freeze
We understand wanting to reduce waste. Really. It's kind of our whole thing!
So we get the desire to eliminate wasteful government spending. But just as a business has to spend money to make money, investing in local agriculture pays off in the long run. Aid to farmers reduces grocery prices. It creates jobs. It strengthens local food systems so that national outbreaks or crop failures in other parts of the country have less of an impact on us here.
Funding freezes on USDA grants have directly affected Full Circle and producers we work with. In Kansas and across the country, projects have been put on hold. Buildings have been half built. People have done work but cannot be paid. This article and video provide some details and personal stories from farmers.
Funding freezes on USDA grants have directly affected Full Circle and producers we work with. In Kansas and across the country, projects have been put on hold. Buildings have been half built. People have done work but cannot be paid. This article and video provide some details and personal stories from farmers.
If you have the chance to communicate with change-makers, please ask them to change this. It's spring. It's time for planting and growing, not delaying action with an unexpected frost. Farmers need to know whether they can break ground on a building, buy a tractor, or order supplies. Unfreezing USDA grant funds will allow farms and food businesses like ours to move forward with their plans and get back to growing!
Here are some folks you could contact if you would like to ask for action:
Here are some folks you could contact if you would like to ask for action:
Rep. Derek Schmidt (represents Topeka)
Rep. Tracey Mann (represents areas where many of our producers are located)
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins
Below is a template letter or script you could use when you email or call.
Thank you for your support!
-Robert & Justine
* * *
Dear ______,
I have been disappointed to learn of the USDA funding freezes that are currently impacting farmers. Farmers and food businesses that my family and I support have been impacted by these freezes, and they are sitting in limbo while they wait to hear if they will be able to spend the grant funds they were selected to receive.
The funds set aside for these grants have already been allocated by Congress and will directly support Kansas farmers and food business owners. They will indirectly benefit all citizens by reducing grocery prices and contributing to strong local economies and resilient local food systems, making it less likely that Kansas will be impacted by events such as outbreaks, natural disasters, or crop failures in other parts of the country.
Many of these grants fund equipment or staff that will help businesses scale up their operations, creating jobs both on and off the farm. It is truly a win for farmers and business owners in Kansas as well as the country as a whole. We would appreciate anything you can do to unfreeze these funds and make them available so that recipients can put their proposals into action.
Sincerely,
Your name and address
Sincerely,
Your name and address
